Welcome to this week’s 5BF: reading Hawkins, pride is the
evil, an ancient poem celebrating friendship, and more…
1: What I Am Reading
A brief history of Time by Stephen Hawking – February being set
for the Nonfiction/Science genre, Hawking’s book was a no-brainer. One of the
most famous scientists of our time, Hawking expanded our thoughts as well as
the universe. I’m a couple of chapters in and it’s inquisitive.
The Hidden Half by Michael Blastland – the premise of this
book, 'things that we usually miss and therefore only know half of the truth', really appealed to me. Science is fun when it debunks the numerous stereotypes
and conspiracies around us – this book promises to do just that.
2: This Week’s Articles
When it is good to be bad @aeon – starting with Franklin’s
list of ten virtues and how Franklin failed to strict himself to them, this
article explores how succumbing to our temptations consciously and limitedly
can help us achieve our otherwise crumbling goals and resolutions.
Horace’s lyrics of friendship offer hope to our troubledtimes @psyche.co – this article is about an ancient poem by the Greek figure Horace
where he anticipates the ultimate end of an ending war and foresees to enjoy
the possibilities of the future with his friend, along with wine and laughter. Here
one feels that friendship makes one brave against the oddest fears.
From note-taking to note-making @nesslabs – this article
explores how note-taking is important but has become an obsolete and unserving method;
instead, note-making is a replacement through which one doesn’t only note the
knowledge being shared, but also incorporates it in their minds.
3: New Additions to Hifz-e-Hayat
I am starting two more book blogs: wrap-up and book hauls. Every
months, most probably in the first week, I’ll be writing two separate blogs
where I would be wrapping up the books I read in the previous months (wrap-up)
and in the other, I shall write about what I’ll be reading in the continuing
month (book haul). What it’ll do for me, as I currently analyze it, is that it’ll
help me sum what how my reading month was in a particular month, as well as
prepare for what I will be reading in the current one. More writing, more
retention and closeness to books.
4: A poem: One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
The art of losing isn’t
hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.
Lose something every day.
Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
Then practice losing
farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.
I lost my mother’s watch.
And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn’t hard to master.
I lost two cities, lovely
ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.
—Even losing you (the
joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident
the art of losing’s not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.
5: This Week’s Quote
‘Oh reputation – it is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit and lost without deserving’.
– From series ‘The Crown'